`LIEN QUEEN' CONVICTED IN PHONY CHECK SCAM.Byline: Janet Gilmore Daily News Staff Writer A federal court jury Friday convicted Elizabeth Broderick, the self-proclaimed ``lien queen'' and Freemen group follower, on fraud charges stemming from her sale of homemade drafts that resembled U.S. Treasury U.S. Treasury Created in 1798, the United States Department of the Treasury is the government (Cabinet) department responsible for issuing all Treasury bonds, notes and bills. Some of the government branches operating under the U.S. Treasury umbrella include the IRS, U.S. checks. ``Notwithstanding the anti-government rhetoric, Ms. Broderick was essentially a con artist,'' said U.S. Attorney Nora Manella. ``Her appeal was to people already in financial difficulties. She offered them something for nothing and in the end they ended up further in debt and she ended up with a felony conviction.'' The Palmdale woman and two associates were convicted on charges that included conspiracy and mail fraud. Broderick was convicted on 26 counts, co-defendant Barry Switzer Barry Switzer (born October 5, 1937) is a former football coach, in the college and professional ranks, between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history,[1] of Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, on 11 and co-defendant Julian Cheney of Van Nuys on 16. Jurors deadlocked on one count against Cheney of filing a lien against a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Dickran Tevrizian Dickran M. Tevrizian, Jr. (born 1940 in Los Angeles, California) was a United States federal judge for the Central District of California. Confirmed in 1985, he is noteworthy for being the first United States federal judge of Armenian ancestry. declared a mistrial A courtroom trial that has been terminated prior to its normal conclusion. A mistrial has no legal effect and is considered an invalid or nugatory trial. It differs from a "new trial," which recognizes that a trial was completed but was set aside so that the issues could be on that count. The three defendants face sentencing Jan. 6. During the five-week trial in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , prosecutors contended that Broderick, 53, learned the check scheme during a meeting in Montana last year with Freeman leader Leroy Schweitzer. Back in Southern California, they contended, Broderick held numerous seminars, selling 8,000 checks with a face value of $800 million. Those who paid $100 to $200 to attend the seminars and get the checks could make them out for any amount they desired and use them to pay creditors. Typically the checks were not honored - even Broderick required that her seminar fees be paid with real money - but in some instances institutions including the Internal Revenue Service and some banks cashed them and suffered a loss. All three defendants continue to be held without bail. All three face sentencing Jan. 6. |
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